How 2016’s foray into Big Data, gamification, and microlearning will improve your L&D journey today
As the year comes to a close we’re already looking forward to what the eLearning industry will be like in 2017. However, 2016 was an interesting time for learning and development (L&D) and we’re excited to recount some of the most notable aspects of the year.
In the beginning of the year, industry professionals predicted that 2016 would deliver interesting advancements in the eLearning space – as it has. Here are five big themes we saw in eLearning 2016.
1. Microlearning
This year microlearning catapulted to the top of industry blogs as bite-sized learning became more popular with companies such as Uber Technologies and Gap Inc. reportedly making the shift to harnessing microlearning training options. In addition, with the more Millennials entering the workforce we saw more content providers offering a series of courses in shorter segments to cater to the new demands of the learning market.
2. Gamification
Although gamification’s interactive format has already shaped eLearning, in 2016 we saw gamification manifest in customer-facing products such as the rewards programs developed by Nike and Starbucks, initiatives that became a popular way to boost customer loyalty. In the corporate learning space, we saw companies like Deloitte continuing to utilize gamified learning methods in addition to companies seeing rising engagement rates with gamified courses.
3. Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR)
This year was the year of Oculus Rift’s consumer products and OpenSesame has been experimenting with AR/VR to explore ways to make enterprise training even more valuable for learners. While gamification allows learners to interact and “level up” in courses, AR/VR provides an immersive environment where learners directly interact with content. This year we saw several industries using virtual reality with companies such as General Motors (GM) using VR to train employees. As eLearning courses are created in AR/VR environments, we expect to see the notable changes in the industry.
4. The “Open Learning Experience”
Josh Bersin, founder and principal of Bersin by Deloitte, noted that 2016 was a year where the notion of an “open learning experience” began to thrive. In an article with SHRM he describes how open-learning-experience companies “help employees discover and publish any content they want (including materials they author)…” In 2016 we saw the growing popularity of custom learning paths and “recommended” courses available to learners. In addition, we saw training extend into social learning spaces offered through an LMS, making the learning experience catered to the learner.
5. Big Data
Throughout the year speculators predicted that the prominence of big data in eLearning would change the way companies think about L&D. In 2016 we saw LMS and eLearning companies amp up eLearning analytics, collecting data ranging from time learners spent on courses to testing reality-based scenarios against text-based problem-solving.
This has been an exciting year for LMS and eLearning companies as new trends technologies are providing better user experiences. Courses are gradually becoming shorter, more immersive, and more interactive with data for companies to track. Although data surrounding 2016 eLearning trends are still being collected, with the emergence and growing adoption of AR/VR and other technologies, we’re anticipating an exciting 2017.
OpenSesame, a Docebo partner, simplifies buying and selling eLearning courses easy as downloading applications from an app store, allowing users to preview courses, read reviews, and research sellers in its marketplace within a matter of clicks.
Learn more about how the right LMS is capable of leveraging all of the biggest trends in eLearning today. Get a free demo with Docebo today.
About the author
Spencer Thornton is the Vice President of Content at OpenSesame and is an eLearning industry veteran with over 15 years of experience in the space. As the VP of Content, Spencer splits his time between helping existing content partners be successful selling their content in the marketplace and recruiting new groundbreaking training providers to join the team.